Houston's First Gay Mayor Inaugurated With 'Life Partner' By Her Side

Annise Parker, the newest mayor of Houston, Tex., was inaugurated in a public ceremony in Houston Monday. In addition to being a three-time at-large council member and a former city controller, Parker is the first lesbian to lead a major American city.

As Monday's event began, the master of ceremonies introduced Parker, "The mayor of the City of Houston, Annise Parker, accompanied by her life partner, Ms. Cathy Hubbard." Parker and Hubbard walked onto the stage hand-in-hand and waved to the crowd, which rose to its feet in a standing ovation. Parker later took the oath of office with her left hand on her grandparents' bible, which Hubbard held as she stood alongside Parker.

Joel Osteen, the pastor of Houston's Lakewood Church, offered the invocation, praying for guidance for the city's leadership and saying, "We honor (Parker) today and our other officials. We count it a joy and an honor to be here."

In her inaugural address, Parker asked her audience for three things: Their prayers, their patience, and their perseverance. "We are in this together for the duration," she said. "You must commit your time and your energy to Houston. We rise or we fall together, we succeed or we fail together."

She also praised the "unsung heroes" of the Houston's workforce and told the citizens of the city that the government would be accountable to them. "The city of Houston is on your side," she said. "I firmly believe that our city's future will be shaped by our citizens - not our politicians. I welcome your suggestions."

Although Parker did not focus her remarks on the historic nature of her upcoming term, she did acknowledge the milestone of her victory for the gay community. "My election made news around the world," she said. "Houstonians weren't very surprised that a gay woman was elected. We have a tradition of electing mayors not for who they are but for what they believe we can do as a city." She also called her new role, "simply one step to a tomorrow of greater justice."

You can see Parker's full address at C-SPAN.org.